Swans - Buy One Get One
by EllieFayeT
Summary: Edward is absent for Bella's first day of school & is sulking in the woods when he happens upon the most intoxicating scent he's ever encountered...Two Swans are about to face some changes; Charlie wants to be a good dad, & he's going to start by trying to protect his daughter. He'll get his chance, maybe for longer than he ever imagined...
1. Chapter 1

_**~*~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~**_

_**Author:**_ frggystyl

_**Pairing(s):**_ Alice & Charlie, Bella & Jasper

_**Genre:**_ Supernatural, Romance, Suspense, Humor

_**Rating:**_ M (at least old enough to vote, mmm kay?)

_**Status:**_ In progress

_**Pre-Reader:** _BetterInTexas

_**Betas:** _Teresa Segrest & MrsAlderaan

**_Banner Made By:_**Mist 3

_**Readers of this story:** Um, you guys rock my socks. Yep. _

_**Summary:**_

At Alice's request, Edward is absent for Bella's first day of school. While sulking in the woods contemplating his siblings' recent secrecy, Edward happens upon the most intoxicating scent he's ever encountered...

Something is about to go down at Casa Swan & there are two targets in the cross hairs. Charlie wants to be a good dad, & he's going to start by doing what comes naturally to a good dad, trying to protect his daughter. He'll get his chance, maybe for longer than he ever imagined...

_(First Fan Fic - constructive criticism welcomed!)_

**Disclaimer: **

~It is my full intent to have grown up subject matter. There will be swearing (and lots of it), character death, sex & who know what else. If you mom would get mad at you reading this kind of story (and is able to punish you for doing so), then you are probably too young.

~This story was un-beta'd up until chapter 4. Chapter 4 and beyond are all checked, but chapters 3 & under contain only my mistakes.

~Oh, and... I own only the mind that created this story right here. Any characters you recognize, I don't own them. And if I did own them, I'd be much richer. But, I'm not. So, yeah...

Bella POV

Ugh. Just, ugh. Guess it's a much more positive sentiment than I expected to be able to express after my first day on display. I all things considered, my first day at Forks High could have been worse. Having moved often with my capricious, lovable, hairbrained mom multiple times in her various searches for, well, whatever she was looking for at that time, I figured I would be ready for this move. Once you've been a new kid, you can do it at any school, right? Wrong.

My notoriety could have been due to several factors. Being the daughter of the beloved police chief whose flighty wife took off with their only child may have been a contributing factor. Let's not forget that it was the middle of the first semester of my Junior year not unusual to start up then. Oh, then there is the fact that this entire town's population is only slightly smaller than the student body at my last high school. I guess when everyone has gone to the same school since kindergarten, new faces like my pale one tend to stick out. Well, I didn't stick out as much as the only other new kids in Forks since the 1980s, the Carters, er, um, Cullens. Looked like someone did a cut & paste from an Abercrombie ad & put the touched up models in the wrong picture. They somehow managed to look more out of place than me, a truly magnificent feat. All four of them seemed otherworldly. According to Jessica, my apparent new BFF or tapeworm, the 'hottest' and only available Cullen, Edwin (I think?) was absent.

My arrival could have been a little less traumatic; would have been nice for Charlie, er, um, Dad, to keep his yap shut. Yeah, I get that he's excited to have me live here with him. Apparently it was too much to ask that he keep some of that excitement in. Considering Char..Dad likes the spotlight as much as I do he might have maybe tried to help me slip in under the radar or something. No such luck. Guess Mr. Stoic the Mustachioed gets to gossiping like a girl when he gets too excited.

Alright, time to find the silver lining on this cloud… every cloud is supposed to have one, right? Don't want to walk in from my first day looking like someone kicked my puppy. It is obvious Charlie is already far too nervous about making me happy here. I can just imagine him in Port Angeles trying to pick out the new bedding. Oh, the color of red he must've turned while buying that purple comforter & accent pillows. Doubt he even knew what an accent pillow even was until he got taken by the sales lady. Bet she got a commission off of THAT sale. Dad kind of went overboard trying to make my room comfortable. No one needs THAT many throw pillows. Guess the ol' sales gal really did snow Dad, huh?

So, Bella, silver lining, silver lining, silver lining – Ooh – my truck DOES kick ass. And I didn't have to get a police escort to and from school. That was the thing I'd most dreaded about moving here. Well, that and the first day of school. First day of school wasn't my cup of tea, so I'd just have to go with the warm & fuzzies I could conjure up while thinking of my new beast. Hell, Beast might even be a good name for this beautiful tank!

With these thoughts, I grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat and opened my door, trying to swing my legs as I pulled my backpack towards me. Smart, Bella. Ever just KNOW something is going to happen and you are powerless to stop it? Not like psychic kind of stuff (as if), no, more like, you can just TELL that a certain idiot on the road is going to crash or that a kid is going to burn their hand on the stove, that kind of stuff? Well, here I sat, er, um, fell watching the cement rapidly approaching my face. I knew that if I didn't brace myself that my face & this patch of cement were going to become quite friendly & stitches would not a good second day of school make.

Grace may not be my strong point, but minimizing the effects of a fall sure may be… folks as klutzy as I am tend to master the art of the fall pretty quick. I was able to use my filled backpack's momentum to swing the impromptu cushion under by belly and braced my hands to catch the fall.

I heard rather than felt the effects of the fall first. A loud "oof" left my mouth as the familiar sound of my body hitting the ground followed. Waiting for the pain to kick in, I heard Char, Dad, rushing down the stairs.

"Bells! Wow! Still know how to take a good fall, eh, kiddo?" Charlie rushed. "What did my sidewalk ever do to you? Seems like once a visit you always get into it with the ol' sidewalk & you've yet to win a bout, Bella. Might wanna consider laying off the ol' sidewalk for a while, considering you'll be living here. One fall every two weeks on this sidewalk could take a lot of extra pressure washing in the spring."

Old man has jokes, huh?

A large part of me felt like doing an impression of Peter Griffin skinning his knee (Dad always HAS has loved juvenile humor), but an even larger part realized that I was too out of breath and in too much pain to try and have jokes, too. So, since joking was out, looks like Operation Hurt Little Girl was in effect.

Not bothering to wipe the tears from my eyes ('cause that fucking fall hurt), I looked up at Charlie, DAD, and sniffled. "Daddy, if you really loved me, you would take my side against my nemesis. This sidewalk just hurt me & you are there making jokes!"

Reaching down to help me up, Dad chuckled, "Nemesis, huh? And I'm the jokester"

"Yes, Dad, nemesis. Enemy, adversary, foe, rival."

The smell hit. Ugh. Worse than ugh. Copper, metal, rust, the undeniable smell of blood. You'd think a fall-taking klutz like me would be used to the smell. Well, you'd be thinking wrong in this case. I felt my face twist into a grimace as I realized I must be bleeding from at least both palms, if not my knees as well.

"C'mon, Kiddo. Let's get you inside & get fixed up. Looks like that extra first aid kit I got when you called to say that you wanted to move in is going to be coming in handy much sooner than I'd hoped."

Dad grabbed by arm by the wrist & elbow, being careful to avoid by bleeding palms to help me up off of my backpack. I must've looked like a high-centered truck sprawled on my backpack like that.

Dad was checking out my palms, "Got some gravel in there. When you do it, you really do it, huh Bells? Want me to help get the gravel out or do you want to go ahead & get your chart established at Forks General? The nurses might be gentler than I am going to be getting those rocks out."

Do I want to go to the hospital? Hell no. Once the PE teacher stops letting me sit out, I'm sure I'll be in the ER often enough, and will probably be bringing them some extra business (depending on the sport I try to play & how close people have to be when I try to play it).

"No, let's do this."

"Alright kiddo, you have a seat on the couch & I'll be down with the supplies. Doctor Dad is on duty!" Charlie sang as he dropped my backpack & headed for the upstairs bathroom. "Doctor Dad" is what I used to call Charlie when he'd have to fix the hundreds of 'boo-boos' I got each summer during our visits. Suppose all of the basic medical training Charlie has to keep up with for his job as the Chief of the Forks Police Department comes in handy at home, since nothing requiring any sort of action ever really happens here.

Charlie POV

"Alright kiddo, you have a seat on the couch & I'll be down with the supplies. Doctor Dad is on duty!" I was simply unable to help the smile that the simple phrase brought forth. My little Bells may have grown up, but she'll always be the same klutzy kiddo who needed Doctor Dad to fix the bad boo-boos. A dad always likes to know he's needed, and my Bella needed me.

While digging out the first aid kit & tweezers, I couldn't help but recall the day a few months ago when Bella called. As Bella was a Junior in high school, I'd basically resigned myself to the fact that she'd finish school, go to college & then my next big role in her life would be walking her down the aisle; hopefully in that order. However, Renee had just remarried some kid who played baseball & my sweet Bella was once again looking out for everyone but herself.

I knew exactly why she wanted to move in with me. Renee had wanderlust again and Bella felt like she was holding her mom back, putting her new marriage in jeopardy. I knew it would be easier for Bella to just finish out high school without moving, but having missed so many major milestones in her life already, I jumped at the chance to have her living with me. Was it selfish? Maybe. Was I going to do everything in my power be the dad I missed out on being? You bet your ass I was.

First aid kit & tweezers in hand, I dropped my cargo on the coffee table on my way to the kitchen to grab some paper towels. Maybe ought to get some wet and dry paper towels. This was gonna be a bit messy. Poor kiddo.

As I settled on the coffee table across from Bella, I laid some paper towels on my lap to rest her hand on & handed a few wet paper towels to her to hold in the hand I wasn't 'doctoring'. If I didn't know what the sight & smell of blood did to her, I'd ask her to get started on the pebbles imbedded in that palm, but for now at least the cool rag would somewhat soothe her.

Concentrating on my "Doctor Dad" task, I decided now was as good a time as any to see how her first day at school went. Not going to get a much more captive audience than I have now. Having grown up here in Forks, I knew how the kids treated "fresh meat" back in my high school days. If Bella enjoyed the spotlight, she'd be in a much better mood than she is now. I'd bet my badge that she got too much attention & felt embarrassed today. I'd also bet that she'd rather talk about it with anyone other than her dad. But like I said, I had missed out on a lot. Kinda sucks that the first day I actually get to see my baby girl come home from school she's already 17. Also kinda sucks that she decided to put half of the rocks from the front of the house into her hands. Only my Bells.

"So, how was the first day? Have fun being the FNG?"

"Effing G? Effing G?! Are you turning gangster on me now, Dad?"

I chuckled. "No, Bells, it's an acronym – F N G. Stands for Fuc…. Er, um, Fun New Gal."

"Uh huh. FUN New Gal, huh? Seriously Dad, you are the Chief of Police. Even in a small town like Forks, I'm sure you good ol' boys cuss down at the station. You should HEAR some of the stuff at school. Some of the stuff I say at school. Not gonna be dropping the "F-bomb" on you, but we're both grown ups here. You can swear."

"No, Isabella, I am a 'grown up' as you put it. Until you are old enough to vote or register for the draft, would you save us both some embarrassment & at least pretend to watch your mouth in front of me?. I can try to do the same." I truly didn't care if she had a colorful vocabulary. Hell, if she aged chronologically for each thing she did for her mom over the years, she'd be older than me. One doesn't work in my line of work & retain their virgin ears. I had heard a doozy or two in my day. Didn't mean I wanted to say those words & phrases in front of my only baby girl.

Having distracted Bella from the blood long enough to quickly clean & bandage both hands, I nudged her foot with my own. "Looks like those nice jeans are now really nice fishing jeans, huh? Wanna go change & you can check to see if you need help cleaning those knees up, too. Then you can tell me about your first day. "

"School was fine, Dad."

"Fine, huh? Do you honestly think a man of my age doesn't know just how loaded a simple word like 'fine' can be? So, when we get back, we can talk about your first day while I distract you from smelling your own blood & passing out. I don't wanna have to run to the cruiser for smelling salts again."

Bella huffed & rolled her eyes, but trudged up the stairs anyway. I may not be drinking my coffee out of a "World's Best Dad" coffee mug, but I intended to do my level best to at least inspire my little girl to consider maybe buying one. I might have a lot of years to catch up on, but my baby girl is going to know that her daddy is always going to be her daddy & always be there.

I've finally got a chance to get to know my daughter. I'd be damned if I was going to blow it. Bella had spent enough of her youth being the 'grown up' – the remainder of her time with me was going to be as worry free as possible. If that included her sucking it up & accepting help to bandage her wounds, well, I would take what I could get. And if she decided to confide in me, then great. Bonus.

While Bella bumped around gracefully in her room, I decided to grab a few extra paper towels since I wasn't sure what the exact damage to her knees was. I DID know that the knees on her jeans were shot. Looking at the messy pile of paper towels, bandage wrappers & scraps of gauze, I realized that my triage skills could be a bit tidier. Screw it; I could clean this mess in a few minutes, as soon as I've taken care of my girl. Wonder if she's too old for ice cream after this sort of thing? Always cheered her up when she was littler. Also always hear gals on TV talking about binging on Ben & Jerry's when they get mad at guys, so there's got to be some sort of magic in ice cream, right? Maybe it's one of those gender linked traits or something. Ice cream never calmed me down.

Alice POV

"Funny how pleasant a car ride can be without our resident 'Debbie Downer' "Rosalie mused.

It was hard to disagree. Edward hadn't been happy with me lately. Who am I kidding; Edward hadn't been happy with anyone ever. Lately things just seemed a bit worse. I knew exactly what was bothering him and the problem was that he didn't. My all-knowing brother hated not knowing all. It was only due to his trust in my visions of the future & their ability to protect our family that he even listened to me today at all.

Lately I'd been having visions of a girl who was, before today, completely unknown to me; visions that I'd been hiding from Edward. I knew that all of our futures rested in a very delicate balance right now & that she was the key to whatever lie in store for us.

_*Flashback*_

Jasper & I had just finished hunting and were headed back to our home on the banks of the Sol Duc River. The forests here in Washington were ideal for game of all sort & Jasper & I had just sated ourselves on a couple of large bull elk. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the ring tone that I loved to hate.

_"__Cos I'm a model you know what I mean  
>And I do my little turn on the catwalk<br>Yeah on the catwalk yea on the catwalk, yeah  
>I shake my little tush on the catwalk<br>I'm too sexy for my cat  
>Too sexy for my cat<br>Poor pussy poor pussy cat  
>I'm too sexy for my love<br>Too sexy for my love  
>Love's going to leave me"<em>

"Hey Pete."

"Hey Shortly, how's it going? Pickin' squirrel fur out of your teeth?"

"No, bull elk was on tap today. So, did you call to discuss the finer intricacies of the taste of animal blood versus human or did you just call to fuck with me?"

"Well, I ALWAYS call to fuck with you, you know that Alice. But I did call to tell you that you and Major ought not head back to the casa just yet. My knowers tellin' me that somethin's gonna be flashin' through that pretty little head of yours & it is somethin' that you might want kept private. Capiche?"

"Got it. Call me if your gift tells you anything else."

"It ain't a gift. And I'll be speaking to you Shortly, I'm sure."

"Hey- don't call me Shortly!"

_ *End Flashback*_

Since then, Peter & I had worked out a system of sorts to give me a heads up so that I could get away from Edward. Any time his "knower" told him my vision would center around this lovely young brunette, he'd text me & I'd find a way to get alone.

My visions showed me a wonderful girl who would change our family. She would be my best friend. If I didn't play things just right, Edward would soon profess his love for her, despite the obvious fact that she is his singer. Dumbass. Who would ever be mated to the one person that the fates had made it near impossible for them to NOT kill? Well, a masochist like Edward of course thinks he'd be the first in history. Idiot.

I knew that if Edward caught a whiff of Bella at school that we would have a potential crisis on our hands. He could very easily slaughter the entire classroom in his blood induced haze. He could kill her. Or a worse fate yet, he could fall in love with her and somehow convince her that she felt the same way.

So, this morning I set my plan into motion. I "had a vision" as we were all about to head towards the cars in the garage on our way to school. It's not too hard to get a spaced out look & play a "best of" killing Bella film in my mind. These visions were enough to get him to agree to stay home. We all knew what a singer was. Emmett had run across his & the poor woman never stood a chance. Edward agreed to stay home & I agreed to use some mad ninja skills to get something with Bella's smell to desensitize Edward.

There were too many choices to be made & too many paths that were not yet certain.

We pulled in to the garage & all trooped into the house. It soon became obvious that Esme was the only one at home.

"Where is Edward?" Jasper asked. The slight flare of his nostrils & widening of his stance warned me that he was slipping close to Major Mode. As I raised my hand to rest it on Jasper's shoulder as a sign of comfort, I was pulled violently into a vision. A vision I never wanted to see come to pass.

Without a backwards glance, I yelled the one thing I could before I let my own demon take over, "Swan house, NOW!"

**AN: **Well, there you have it. That's what I've got so far. Well, what I've got so far here... There MAY be other chapters somewhere out there...

Okay, I'll cut the shit - if you're interested, I have more chapters posted on betterintexasfiction dot ning dot com / My name over there is frggystyl... but since my real life name is Ellen... that's my name here.

So...


	2. Chapter 2

_**ET Note: ****  
><strong>Just a short chapter… Needed to get Eddie's POV out there & figure the next chapter will be longer. Also, this is unbeta'd all mistakes are mine. _

__Thanks to BetterInTexas (& friends) who gave me the guts me to publish this here. :) __

____~*~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~_ _

_**Swans – Buy One Get One**_

**Chapter 2**

_**Edward POV**_

Fucking bitch. Alice didn't trust my control. MY control? She's the one that's mated to a monster. I'm not the one who must be reminded on a regular basis that "humans are friends, not food." Now thanks to my less than forthcoming sister, I am in the woods, trying to walk off some tension; tension that seem to be born of mistrust & deceit.

Perhaps after so long of trying to keep their most private thoughts to themselves, my family had simply started to block me out? To be certain, I never ASKED for the ability to read minds. The vile and horrid that most people think are enough to harden even the softest heart. I just couldn't understand why Alice, of all people, would start to hide things from me. We've always been so close; no one else in the family understood the loneliness that our gifts brought upon us.

For some reason, Alice has become distant and secretive. At first I suspected it had to do with her relationship with Jasper, as he'd also been especially guarded. I simply assumed that there was trouble in paradise. However, Alice has been receiving text messages that have had her running out of my range. Of course, I'd considered following her, but she would see that decision & I would still be in the dark. Jasper would certainly suspect her if she were cheating, his empathy would detect her deception.

It was for curiosity's sake alone that I agreed to miss school today. Apparently there would be a new student at school who I would supposedly be unable to resist. Her blood was supposed to call to me like none other. I'm certain she must be mistaken. With the exception of my rebellious period in which I killed those that were indeed fit to be my food, I've always had superior control.

Alice's plan was to "go ninja on her ass" (her words, not mine) and acquire something with her scent on it to desensitize me. According to her, I would either slaughter a classroom full of children to get to her blood (worst case) or possibly run like a bitch to Alaska to sulk (best case). Neither seemed like even a remote possibility.

She must be out of her mind. There was nothing, nothing at all that could ever allow me to jeopardize my family like that. Regardless of recent actions, I love them all and would be lost without them. I simply cannot imagine what could have…..

Fuck.

Fucking glorious.

That smell, what was that smell? My nose guided me with lightning precision to the source of the divine elixir. I burst through the door of a small, two story white house and zeroed in on the source of the scent. Sitting on an outdated brown couch was a middle aged mustached man. His brown eyes widened upon my approach. He started to stand as I pounced.

My teeth pierced the delicate skin of his neck as I threw him back onto the couch. I relished the pop of his skin & vein as his life force began to enter my mouth. Oh, how I'd missed this. Animal blood had nothing on this.

But, this wasn't right. Better than I was used to, sure, but not what I craved. What I needed.

A gasp from the stairs caught my attention. Standing there was a beautiful young girl with mahogany hair & the most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen. I could care less about those details; I noticed them only because my vampire brain could process so much at once. We locked eyes for a mere second before she moved to attack, I'm sure. Silly human had a fierce, protective look in her eyes. However, my attack was much, much more effective.

I leapt to her position on the stairs & grabbed her roughly by her shoulders. I took only a moment to savor her scent before I licked the side of her neck and bit.

Bliss, ecstasy, heaven. This is what I'd been reborn for. This is the sole reason I'd been turned into this soulless demon by my adopted father. My monster was at the forefront of my mind and for once I wondered why I'd ever caged it to begin with. The sweet ambrosia that was her blood was so all consuming that I didn't hear their thoughts. Maybe I did, but I was simply enraptured by the precious fluid cascading down my scorching throat to notice or care.

Before I could react, I felt two strong sets of hands pulling me from my prey. MINE. I would kill every one of these motherfuckers to get to what was my right. It seemed that no amount of struggle or fight would loosen their holds. I felt myself being dragged away from my prey and outside. Somehow, the entities attached to the strong sets of hands began to run with me into the forest. The smell of the fresh pines & ferns slowly started to infiltrate my senses. Slowly, the smell of the girl's blood started to fade away the further they took me into the trees.

As the fog continued to clear, I noted that the hands holding me were attached to Jasper & Emmett, my brothers. Brothers, right. Not once during any of Jaspers "slips" have I EVER interrupted his meal. Isn't there some sort of meal etiquette about that kind of thing? That's what the girl was my ultimate meal.

"Dude, Bro. What the fuck just happened back there?" Emmett bellowed.

"I don't know. I just don't know" I replied, doing my level best to feel remorseful. With Jasper, these things can be much trickier to do thanks to his empathy.

Emmett shook his head as a near silent 'fuck' escaped his lips.

"You know you just killed the chief of police & his daughter, right, Eddie? Do you realize what fuck up of epic proportions this is? This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that will have the Volturi breathing down our necks. This type of 'damage control' will difficult to pull off without causing suspicion to fall on our family. Why the FUCK couldn't you just stay home? Has Alice EVER asked you to do anything that didn't warrant listening to?" Jasper's raging rant ended with the destruction of a few trees in our vicinity.

"You are of course right, Jasper. I'm certain that I don't know what could have come over me. I cannot believe that I've let myself show the soulless demon that I really am. How could I do that to such innocent, good people? I know what kind of man Chief Swan is. His daughter looked the perfect image of a very nice girl. I have wreaked havoc on an untold number of people with my actions today. There can be no repentance for a monster such as myself," I cried. Oh, how this sincerity & feeling of remorsefulness was hard to maintain. I could only hope that Jasper bought my emotional façade.

She was meant for me, and I would have her. I would kill anyone who kept me from her.

**_ET Note: _**

So, that's Crazy Eddie. Nuttier than a squirrel with three testicles. At least that's what I was going for.

Again, more chapters are available at www dot betterintexasfiction dot ning dot com (I have up to chapter 4 posted there & hope to have 5 up today - have 6 out for a good ol' pre-read & chapter 7 is percolating in my grey matter).


	3. Chapter 3

**~*****~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~**

_**ET Note: Again, not beta'd any & all mistakes are mine, despite my reading it probably 19 times…**_

On with the show…

**Chapter 3**

_**Alice POV**_

That son of a bitch. I'm going to kill that messy haired motherfucker as soon as I get my hands around his sparkling neck. What was he even doing here? I'd warned him away from her, at least until I could help him to get used to her scent. Guess I bumped into her complimented her lovely hair & "accidentally" plucked a few out for no good reason. And I'd so wanted to make a better first impression than that of a klutz. It's hard to keep up that charade with our natural vampire grace. Okay, maybe not hard, but irritating.

_Breathe, Alice… take a nice deep breath._

Nope. Wrong idea. So NOT the time for deep cleansing breaths… we were in the room with 2 bleeding, changing humans.

_Concentrate, Alice. You know this is important. Power through. You've conquered Black Friday at Barney's, you can do this._

"Carlisle, tell me what to do." I urged. Both Chief Swan & Bella were beginning to groan loudly. The Chief's eyes were fixed on his daughter on the stairs; she appeared to be knocked out cold. I could see a dent in the wall where her head must've hit when that ass-hat attacked. The shoulders of her shirt were torn where it was obvious his fingernails had pierced her alabaster skin. Despite her unconscious state, it was plain to see that the venom was affecting her. Chief Swan's groans started to turn into somewhat coherent words; or, rather, word, 'Bella.' It quickly became a worried, pain filled chant on his mustached lips.

"We can't leave them here. Esme, please grab the girl & Alice, Chief Swan. Take them to our house, Rosalie, begin to prepare a vehicle. They can't stay here for obvious reasons. It looks like I've got the unfortunate task of playing cleanup crew," Carlisle said, somewhat defeated. His usual proud posture was gone, replaced by that of a world weary man. Only mere moments into this fiasco & we all know one thing for certain: everything is about to change. And when I say change, I know it will be monumental.

I gave a quick nod to Carlisle & turned towards Chief Swan. I'd seen him in passing around town. In a town of this size, everyone sees the Chief out and about, even supposed 'recluses' like my family & I. He was an attractive man, anyone could see that. His mustache was a bit off putting; reminiscent of a '70's porn star, but the looks were there. I bent to gather him in my arms and froze.

_*Vision*_

I gazed into the forest, waiting for my love, my true mate to emerge. I knew he'd been off for some "boys' time"; he needed it. They all did. But he was coming home, almost here. I could feel him. The pain in my chest was quickly diminishing. He burst through the trees and bound over the yard, gracefully landing directly in front of me. His hands (oh how I'd missed those hands) reached up as he gently cupped my cheeks & gave me a tender kiss, his mustache tickling my lips. I wrapped my arms around his muscular frame & sighed. This was home. He was my home.

"I missed you, Charlie."

_*End Vision*_

Huh. Well, that was certainly interesting. I didn't see that coming… and that is a first for me! Though the ability to see the future can often be burdensome, and it is not infallible, there are times when it has its perks. Stock markets, fantastic sales, keeping the family safe, finding my mate, and even better, knowing that he's my mate so that I can shave off that hideous mustache while he's changing.

He'll be initially mad. But he'll thank me later.

_**Jasper POV**_

This lyin' sack of horse shit. This douchebag is so fuckin' crooked that if he swallowed a nail this fucker'd shit a screw. His deceit was oozing off of him; it permeated the air like the foulest stench. I could almost feel it on my skin it was so fuckin' thick. I supposed he was not aware that true emotions are impossible to hide from me. My gift, unlike his, doesn't have an easy work around. All I have to do is imagine something that he finds 'distasteful' & he's outta there. Good Ol' Eddie is about to get a vivid play by play of what I'd like to do to his worthless ass right now.

Emmett was pissed; beyond that, even. I don't know that I'd ever seen him in this emotional state in the sixty some odd years I'd known him. Emmett's rage only fueled my own.

"Emmett, we WILL deal with this sorry ass motherfucker later. I assure you. I'm furious, too, but I NEED you to calm down. I'm fixin' to go Major Mode & I'd really like to avoid that, if possible."

"Right, cooler heads prevail or some such shit. I'm good, Bro. Just going to my happy place; I'm all Zen & shit now. "

"Good, this prude fucker always hates your friskier thoughts about Rose."

Emmett leered at Edward. "Oh, I've got a new happy place now, don't I, brother?" Edward visibly cringed. Guess great minds really do think alike. Maybe Emmett & I could swap ideas later. I'm sure I have more experience in this area, but Emmett is a surprisingly inventive fucker.

I smiled sadistically at Edward and changed my grip. My hand now clasped him by the neck, fingernails piercing his marble skin due to the force of my grasp. I had him incapacitated enough, stupid fucker knew better than to run now. He may be fast, but not as fast as the fury that enveloped mine & my brother's mind. He knew he wouldn't make it two steps before he was nothing more than a bad memory & a pile of ashes.

I felt four chaotic emotional signatures running upwind of us; two were the frantic & worried feeling of Esme & Alice, two were those of two people in the burn of the change. And one odd emotional cocktail, one that was completely out of place for this situation, love, devotion, and… completeness? Oh, it's Alice. Strange. Perhaps she's finally found her true mate. I can only hope it's the girl. Oh, imagine…

_Focus, fucker. Quit thinkin' with your dick. Maiming & killing Eddie, maiming & killing Eddie… maiming & killing…_

I gave my head a minute shift as if to dislodge those titillating thoughts, but it too late, Edward had caught my slip.

"Oh, of all the vile, disgusting things, Jasper; you imagine your mate with her, the girl whose life I've ended?"

"Couple of things, brother, one, don't like it, don't look; b, that would actually be pretty hot; three, both were alive when we left, idiot; and four, didn't your mother ever teach you that it's impolite to eavesdrop? I think that mind raping is a bit worse than eavesdropping, Fuckface," Emmett growled & then glanced hopefully at me. "That would be so fucking hot. Wonder if Rosie…"

"Emmett, quit thinkin' with your dick!" Okay, so I wanted to say it to someone else. Didn't want to feel like the Lone Pervert or anything; not cool, Kemosabe.

"Cool then, let's think with our fists. I see a future dead brother here."

"NO!" Edward screamed. "If I disappear when the Swans do, it will implicate me and by association, the entire family. Let's figure this out. You know how sorry I am. Let's go home & I'll finish them off as penance. I will bear their deaths on my soul, I deserve it. We'll figure this out as a family, like we've always done. Like we've done after the many times you have both slipped, brothers."

Damnit. I hate it when this slick fucker is right. While the majority of what he just spewed was pure-de-ol' cowshit, he did have one point. His disappearing would draw attention to our family as a whole. Only right or logical thing he's said or done since he decided against Alice's advice to stay at home today. As for the rest of his stupid statement, "'Finish them off'? Didn't get enough, Edward? You think that YOU get to decide their fate? No. Despite what you may think, you are not the head of this coven. Those poor souls are changing now. We have shit to get figured out and you ain't fit to figure nothin'. You do get a bit of penance, though."

I looked Emmett in the eye. "Wanna pretend it's Thanksgiving & good ol' Eddie is our very own wishbone?"

"Hell to the yes" Emmett hollered.

"Grab an arm & a leg & pull. Whoever gets the body on their side, wins. Deal?"

"Deal." Emmett & I simultaneously reached for an arm & leg on opposite sides of Edward and began to figure out who got the wish.

Once he was in pieces, it took nothing to send Edward the feeling that his victims were feeling. It's not as if it were a foreign feeling to me. It was that feeling that haunted me.

This sorry sack was lucky that I loved my family so dearly. For now, Edward would stay alive, but his days were numbered. As soon as I could cull this fucker, I'd do it. This fucker is about to give up his guitar for a harp, but more likely he would be issued a set of horns.

_**Carlisle POV**_

What a waste. We'd built a good life here in Forks. We all knew that it wouldn't last forever, but we'd at least hoped for a few more years.

Edward, my oldest companion, my son in almost every sense of the word, what have you done? Esme & I had welcomed him with open arms when he returned from what he deemed his "rebellious period," the time when he left us & our lifestyle behind to drink human blood. Yes, his actions hurt me, but I was willing to overlook it because of the depth of my love for him. This, however, was an entirely different issue.

While in the past he did take human lives, he killed in a manner that didn't connect him to our family… The family that I'd taken responsibility for years ago & vowed to protect with my very life. In a small town like Forks, the disappearance or death of the beloved Chief of Police & his recently returned daughter would be a catastrophe. If anyone were to leave town at that time, they would automatically become the prime suspect.

Thus, my quandary. Edward's actions would be punished. If I had to light the match myself, I could not let this go unpunished. While my love for Edward was great, I could not place the lives of the rest of my family in jeopardy for him or his reckless actions.

With no time to dwell on what was surely one of the biggest and most tumultuous decisions of my very long life, I began the abhorrent task ahead. A gas explosion would be the best cover up. A gas explosion would require bodies. It looked like a trip to Seattle was in order. The King County Medical Examiner's Office was far more likely to have bodies that would resemble the Swans and the bodies there would be easier to misplace than any location on the Olympic Peninsula. I would just have to try to get unclaimed bodies so that I wouldn't indirectly cause another family additional grief.

Why couldn't Edward have heeded Alice's warning this morning? She'd seen that the Swan girl would be his singer. She'd even offered to obtain something with her scent to desensitize him. His arrogance, while always an annoyance, was finally going to cost. The unfortunate thing was it wasn't going to just cost him. It'd already cost the Swans their mortal lives, the change had started before Esme & Alice had removed them from their home. It was going to ultimately rob our family of our life in Forks. And last, but certainly not least, his arrogance had finally cost him his life; he just didn't know it yet.

As running would be the fastest way to get there, I began to head east & also began to pray that I'd be able to protect my family, even if the cost seemed extremely high.

_**Alice POV**_

"Carlisle, you will find suitable bodies. Yesterday two transients were brought in separately, one a young woman of slight build & the man, also transient. We have arrived home and Rose is preparing Emmett's jeep as it has the most room. It won't be comfortable, but Charlie & Bella won't notice. Also, before you blow up the joint, I do have a favor to ask."

"What is it, Alice? If it's feasible and reasonable, I'll do it. Time is of the essence, as you are aware."

"Of course, Carlisle. I just wanted you to grab a few key items for Charlie & Bella for when they wake up. This situation will be difficult enough and I know that having something to hold on from their home will help."

"Certainly. You are right, of course. I will be happy to grab a few things, what do you suggest?"

I quickly gave Carlisle a small list for both Charlie & Bella & hung up the phone. I couldn't wait to look through Bella's baby pictures with Charlie. Too bad I never got to see her embarrassed as a human. Wonder if that sort of thing would have made her blush?

Bella's shrill scream brought me out of my thoughts. Happy times may be ahead, but for now, two people that are going to be the center of my world are in pain. Charlie isn't constantly screaming Bella's name anymore, he is mostly unable to form words. Once in a while though, he still calls out for her. The level of his devotion to her is blatantly obvious. Hopefully one day I will be that high in his esteem. I'd never be jealous of their bond, that would only alienate Charlie. I'd never want to do anything to come between them anyway. I knew they both had room enough in their hearts for me.

Jasper & Emmett ran into the living room & Emmett dropped Edward, or rather, Edward & his left arm & left leg, on the floor. Edward was screaming in pain & his screams were near identical to those of Bella & my mate. I hoped Jazz had given him a good cocktail. Fucker. If his pain were only from the loss of his limbs, he'd at least be a bit more coherent. I knew Jasper was giving him a taste of his own medicine.

"Damnit! Now I'm not gonna get my wish! Only a wish would get Rosie into that situation with me having my dick attached & intact."

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Esme asked, clearly exasperated.

"Oh, well, Jasper won the wish bone, so now he gets his wish & I don't get mine. And mine was a good one, too. Really, really good."

"Wish b… Oh – Edward. Right. Well, he's lucky that you boys got to deal with him initially. I would have gone straight to the lighter," Esme casually commented. Her casual tone belied her tense manner. She was poised & ready to strike. Now, just to wait for Carlisle, Edward didn't look like he was going anywhere anytime soon.

"Jazz. You will be taking them. You've got a scheduled absence from school coming up for your trip back east." Though it hurt to say, I knew that I couldn't leave with Charlie. I'd have to wait until I could leave without suspicion, but I wouldn't be able to wait long. I wouldn't HAVE to wait long. I suddenly remembered the Christmas gift I got last year from Peter & Charlotte. While I figured they were being their normal jokester selves at the time, I didn't know how handy their gifts would come in handy. Jasper received an all-inclusive trip to Lexington for a Civil War Re-enactment. He was due to leave in two days. My gift was a trip to New York, due to leave in a month. At the time, I'd wondered why they decided to send me when it wasn't Fashion Week. Looks like Peter's 'knower' was 'knowing' again. In the interest of being proactive, Esme had already contacted the schools about our upcoming absences.

"Will the two of you be alright? Won't the distance hurt the mating bond?" Esme queried.

I gave Jasper a look & he gave me a slight nod. It looked like it was time for the cat to come out of the bag. "Jasper & I are not true mates. We've been lovers & best friends, but we both knew it wasn't forever." I wouldn't, couldn't tell anyone about my vision. If they knew, they'd send me with Jasper when he left with the Swans & our family would still be at risk. It was only due to my vision that I was certain of my future with Charlie. He didn't know we were mates yet & our separation wouldn't be traumatic for him like it would be for me. Jasper gave me a knowing glance. He knew. He could feel how I felt about Charlie. He felt my dread of living without him, no matter how short a time. And like a good friend, a best friend, he didn't betray my confidence. He knew it was best for the family that I stay behind.

"I have a trip to 'New York' that's been cleared with school as a predetermined, scheduled absence. We'll stick to the plan & we will all be together as we should be before long."

Though they seemed a bit shell shocked, Esme, Rose & Emmett all nodded. At this point, there wasn't much to say. We were in a holding pattern until Carlisle got home. Edward's life was forfeit, and by the looks I saw on Carlisle's face, the possibility of him taking care of my former brother was quite great.

Jasper ran up the stairs to pack. I knew he wouldn't pack any of his current wardrobe. Over the years, Jasper had acquired two duffle bags of "Texas approved" clothing. Apparently, if he were to dress in Texas as I normally had him dressed, he'd 'get his ass handed to him.' As if. He would take down any and all challengers. His male ego just couldn't take the hit. The way he said it, he'd have his "Texas Man Card" taken away, which he said was even better than a 'regular man card' (tho he claimed to carry both, just in case) if he were to think about crossing the Red River onto the hollowed grounds of Texas.

Of course, the likelihood of them heading to Texas was slim to none. Considering the trees I saw Charlie emerge from, I'd guess Canada. The house close to Tahsis would be ideal. Remote & quiet, the town's population of less than 600 would give us privacy & a remote location without being so small that our appearance in town wouldn't cause too much of a stir.

With the barest bones of a plan in place, I grabbed Charlie & turned towards the stairs.

"Um, Alice, where are you going?" Rose questioned.

Never was I so glad for Peter's twisted sense of humor. Thank god for the shaving cream & razor he'd sent me for mine & Jasper's anniversary. It wouldn't be "taking care of the bearded clam" as he advised with his ever so kind anniversary card, but it would be helping out my future sex life.

"Upstairs. Chief Swan is turning immortal. I doubt he'll want to wake up looking like a porno reject. I'm going to go shave him."

**Additional ET Note:** Well, there it is. Chapter 3. Some of the basics of the story are hopefully laid out now. Hope no one is disturbed by character death. 'Cause The 'Stache isn't going to make it past chapter 4. Besides, Charlie will be so much more handsome without it. Plus, I plan on writing some lemons for him & Charlie with a mustache reminds me of my dad (he grows one every Movember). And since anything related to my dad in regards to sex is as much of a turn on as an ice cold shower with Bea Arthur & George Burns, I like to picture my Charlie closer to how Billy Burke looked in 'Revolution' – Maybe even with that sword. :^) (hubba hubba)

_On a personal note- _while I was writing this, my son decided to decorate his hair & face with toothpaste. It was only a travel size & I was able to tell that he'd only eaten a minimal amount (if any) due to the shit ton of tooth paste on his hair, face & my couch. Don't know why tubes of toothpaste fascinate the boy, but this isn't his first dog & pony show… I swear he could find a tube of toothpaste in a hoarder's house. And once he found it, he'd squeeze it everywhere. Believe me, I know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the screwed up post earlier... dunno how that happened. Hope this one is better! ****~ ET**

_~*~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~_

_ET Note: Huge thanks to BetterInTexas for being the bestest pre-reader, like, ever; Huge thanks to my 2 bad-ass betas, Teresa Segrest & MrsAlderaan - you both rock my socks; Huge thanks to Mist... I look at that banner WAY too much. Like, WAY too much. ;)_

_Oh... and HUGE thanks to you if you're reading this. 'Cause what is writing without readers? _

_On with the show…_

**Chapter 4**

**Jasper POV**

Edward still writhed in pain, in pieces, on the ground. His screams of agony were music to my ears; and that music was right up there with Skynard's performance at the Ozark Music Festival in '74. The Swans, now that was a different story all together. Their cries wrenched at my soul, especially hers. Sad enough the chief had this fate, but even worse that this slip of a girl who hadn't yet really lived, was destined to the same fate as her father.

Suddenly, the very unexpected sound of Emmett's loud guffaw caught the entire room completely off guard.

"Shave Charlie, eh? What part of Charlie are you planning on shaving, little sis?" Emmett grinned slyly at Alice, before slowly turning to me, a confused look on his previously gleeful face. "Er, um, J, are you, um… how is it that you aren't totally tearing shit up right now, Bro? I mean, it'd be one thing if my Rosie wanted to shave another girl, but a dude…"

I held my hand up, halting Emmett's confused query. "Emmett, I think I know which part of Charlie Alice was referring to. Besides, we just got done tellin' ya'll, I love her, always will, but this separation for us is only gonna work because we're not true mates. Now, that said, I'd probably prefer Alice not go pecker huntin' today. For one, I hear tell peckers ain't in season for a spell and for another thing, I doubt Alice has her pecker tags yet, anyway. Doubt we'll be cock blocking each other, but I'd prefer to think she wouldn't jump a changing, vulnerable man. It's one thing to take him to a barber shop, it's another to do some damned 'manscaping' on him. That type of shit needs to stay in the beauty parlor."

I shuddered, recalling some of Alice's futile efforts in the 1990's to get me to shave 'designs' into what little body hair I have. Don't know how it would've turned out, 'cause I'm fast and I don't sleep, so she never got the drop on me.

"I'll head up and take over with a quick rinse and change of clothes when you're done playing barber, Allie Gal. Emmett, grab some clothes for the chief. He's already a bit thicker around the middle than I am and I'm sure the change is only going to enhance his muscle structure. We just don't know how much yet. Esme, Rose, could ya'll take care of Bella?"

Rose nodded, having just come in the garage from preparing the jeep for our imminent departure. On her way to the couch to help Esme, my favorite sister 'accidentally' tripped on Edward. It was the damnedest thing. Her foot 'somehow' came forward with a bit too much force and she connected with his blood streaked cheek, cracking his marble skin instantly. Good thing for those vampire reflexes; she might have face-planted.

Esme scooped Bella up effortlessly, if a bit awkwardly due to the locked knees and thrashing arms of the changing girl. Seeing that Esme had the girl, Rose headed back towards the stairs. This time she 'tripped' on the back of Ed's head. His face jerked forward and the crack of his chin on his chest was audible. Apparently, Rose's haste was causing a temporary klutziness.

"Emmett, I'm gonna pull the whammy from our dear brother and see if I can't give these two a time out from some of the pain. Figure this could be a good time for a little one on one for you and Eddie. Brotherly bonding time and shit like that." Emmett rolled his shoulders and looked at Edward after a quick but thankful nod in my direction.

I followed the masculine sounds of the chief's anguished cries to the bathroom that Alice & I shared to find him lying on the floor, Alice leaned close to his ear, whispering while gently cupping his cheeks. I paused and took a moment to hang on to the only positive emotions in the entire house, the emotions of my friend, companion and now, former lover as she urged her new and eternal love to remember. Remember everything. Having retained absolutely no memories of her human life through the burn of the change, memories were a very sensitive subject to her. She was already protecting her mate, even from emotional pain.

After a brief kiss to each eyelid and a lingering kiss to his forehead, Alice turned to me. "I'm going to let his head go. Get into a good position and hold him still. I'll go get the supplies. I'd rather do this without any more bloodshed. I know he would heal, but the thought of…"

Quickly, I interrupted, "I know, Allie Gal. I know."

I couldn't imagine the torture Alice was going to endure until she was able to join us. I'd known that she found her mate; I'd been able to tell from the moment I felt her run past 'Operation Wish Bone.' Would have been nice to have more of a heads up, though. If she'd known, she could have avoided touching him and would have made the separation a bit easier.

"Alice, I'm sure there's a joke here about how many vampires it takes to shave a thrashing newborn, but since I don't know the punchline, I'm not sure how to play this. I can immobilize his body, but his mouth is another story." Suddenly, an epiphany. "Hey… what about that old ball gag…"

"Jasper Allan Whitlock Hale! I will not put that in my… my… in Charlie's mouth!" Alice stuttered indignantly.

"Al, we only used it a few times…" I tried to mention with a casual air. Not really the moment for that kind of sentiment, apparently. The death glare that was aimed in my direction made me immensely glad that her mate was between us and leaned back against my chest, allowing me to trap his arms and legs with my own. Since I was more bound up than a granny outta prune juice, holding his mouth closed wasn't an option.

Alice glared at me a moment more before rushing out the door and down two flights of stairs into the basement. I could hear her rummaging in the storage area, muttering a bit and then squeaking 'eureka' before bounding back up both flights of stairs and back into the room. Before I completely registered what she was doing, Alice had shoved a yellow tennis ball into Charlie's mouth, stilling his jaws.

Pushing back Charlie's head towards mine with her right hand, Alice effectively trapped his head between her hand, my head and the wall behind me. Using dexterity only seen in vampires, she proceeded to lather the chief's face with her left hand. Perhaps she was a barber in her human life?

"Good bye, Charlie, Jr. You've had a good run, but your time has come. Charlie will miss you, but ultimately I _know_ he'll understand why you had to go." Alice mockingly lowered her head in a moment of silence and then started to shave his upper lip.

I was unable stop the chuckle from escaping my lips. Only my family, my brother Peter included, could make me smile in a situation like this. This was a cluster fuck if ever I saw one, and yet I still found my spirits lifted, if only for a moment. I felt the brief moment of amusement that emitted from my family in the house. This sort of moment, however fleeting, would be my rock in this ordeal. We were headed for some serious shit and any brief moments of levity would be nice, 'cause it felt like my emotions done got rode hard and put away wet.

I could hear the sounds of Esme and Rose bathing Bella, kindly urging her to 'remember' as well. Unfortunately, there was little that we actually knew about the Swan's lives. We knew that they had each other, so that's what the ladies told them; the ladies were all doing a fine job of coaching our newest family members through their change. Of course nothing would ever distract fully from that level of pain. As for me, trying to help the pain of two changing vampires was really taking its toll.

"Done. Oh, better than I even imagined. Give him a quick rinse, Jazz. I'll go check on Bella," Alice said, placing a gentle, quick kiss on the top of the chief's head.

After I quickly filled the bath tub and gave the chief a quick cleansing, my phone began to ring. Poor fella was writhin' all around in his birthday suit. I felt for him, I really did. If Alice wasn't pecker huntin', then, I sure as shit wasn't. Didn't need to see that shit.

"What?" I growled, my patience fading by the second.

"Well, nice to hear your voice too, fuck face. Maybe me and the missus won't be seein' you in a bit after all." My brother, Peter; should've been expecting a call from the know-it-all bastard.

"Pete. You don't know how good it is to hear your voice right now. Say, you and your lovely bride wouldn't want to, oh, I don't know - raise a couple of newborns with me for a while, would ya? Good ol' Fuckward decided to have a fuck up beyond major proportions and seems like we're up shit creek without a paddle."

"Oh, well, then as luck would have it, you owe me one, brother. I'm just down the road a spell, Char's behind me. We just bought a Durango and an Explorer. We decided - what the hell - let's have a race, Mopar vs. Ford kinda thing. We done checked out your place over yonder in Tahsis, too. Thing is wrecked. Damned blue spruce fell through the roof, lots of water damage and even a few critters. Even though you might enjoy the takeout, figured sweat equity wasn't on the docket for your babies. So, we reckon ya'll could come see mine and the missus's new place on Jervis Inlet. Plenty of space and plenty of squirrel huntin' for your young'uns."

Ah, what would I do without this know it all motherfucker? Peter and Charlotte had been my saviors from the Southern Vampire Wars and had been my saving grace and safe harbor in many other ways throughout the course of my existence. Peter, my brother in venom, claimed to not have a gift, but somehow the fucker got sure-fire information from somewhere between his ears and that shit had never failed; looks like he just came through in a pinch again.

"Pete, thanks. You don't know how much this means…"

Peter interrupted, "No, Major, it's you that don't know how much help me and Char are gonna be. Ya'll will be more than happy to have us around. Got yourself a couple of hellions there. Gonna be fun." I heard his chuckle as he disconnected the call.

I quickly dressed the chief in clothes Emmett left and carried him down the stairs just as Rose carried the girl down. The sound of Pete and Char's new vehicles coming down the drive was a welcome one. We quickly loaded The Swans into separate vehicles - the Chief in the Durango with me and the girl with Pete and Char in the Explorer - and hit the 101 heading towards Seattle. While taking a ferry would be the quickest option, the screams from our vehicles would cause too much of a ruckus. So even though our time on the road would be longer, at least we would be more low profile.

Now, we drive. Drive and wait.

**ET Note:**

**I always have at least one extra chapter available at betterintexasfiction dot ning dot com (you know the drill - remove spaces & replace "dot" with a "."). As the site's founder, Jason, was my push to finally put my writing out there, I'll always post there first (by a few days, at least). I'm loyal & crap like that. Chapter 6 is going to be posted there as soon as my wonderful betas are done with it & I combine their edits to put it out for public consumption. I'm hoping to work on (if not finish) chapter 7 today... and I already have chapter 8 (maybe it'll be chapter 9, we'll see) done (don't ask). **

**Plus... if you DO come and check out betterintexasfiction, then you can check out the other kick-ass authors over there (some of 'em you're familiar with already, I'm sure!). If you're not familiar with the work of betterintexas here in FF, you're missing out. His stuff is pretty rad & his writing kinda inspires mine, so if you like my stories, his are WAY better. Plus he's got, like, way more than I do (and some kick ass original work available on his site). **

**Okay... I only have a tiny bit of time to write before football begins... GO SEAHAWKS. **

**~Happy Sunday~**

**~ET**


	5. Chapter 5

_**~*~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~**_

_ET Note: Huge thanks to BetterInTexas for being the bestest pre-reader, like, ever; Huge thanks to my 2 bad-ass betas, Teresa Segrest & MrsAlderaan - you both rock my socks; Huge thanks to Mist... I look at that banner WAY too much. Like, WAY too much. ) MooN - your banner is booberific. (*)(*) BBA!_

_Oh... and HUGE thanks to you if you're reading this. 'Cause what is writing without readers? _

_On with the show…_

_**See additional note at the end of this story... **_

**Chapter 5**

**Bella POV**

_Damnit! This fucking hurts! First, my dad gets attacked all zombie-like and the next thing I know, I'm on fucking fire. Is this hell? I mean, I know I'm sno saint, but never thought that I was headed for fire and brimstone and shit like that._ _Finally, I can think around the pain. My fingers and toes are no longer burning, so they must finally be beyond the charcoal stage; but now the fire in my chest is somehow getting way fucking worse. Huh. I didn't know that there was even a pain level beyond the shit I've already experienced. I'm all kinds of wrong today. Figures._

The fire was slowly receding from the remainder of my body and seemed to build in my chest. The accumulation accelerated until there was a pinpoint of indescribable pain in my heart and, then, suddenly, everything stopped. No pain, no sound, but the smells! My God. Oh, I could taste every single scent on my tongue. My eyes shot open before I realized what was happening. I was sitting up on a very comfortable bed.

"What the holy fried fuck just happened to me?" I growled. "What the hell? Did I just fucking growl?"

I heard a chuckle in an adjoining room. _Glad to be of amusement, ass hat._

"It's okay, sugar. You're safe." At the foot of my bed, a petite blonde woman stood with her hands out, eyes down and her posture indicating a submissive nature. Despite that, her skin screamed danger as it was covered in marks that I somehow instinctively knew to be scars; many, many bite scars. Even in my somewhat short, sheltered life, I knew that scars normally belonged on bad asses. Even bad asses called people 'sugar', right?

My panic escalated as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings. A growl worked its way up from my chest and out of my mouth. Again, what the fuck? Since when do I growl? This shit is getting old really fast. "Where's my dad?!" I yelled, my voice an altered, more beautiful version of the voice I'd come to know over the past 17 years.

_Seriously, again, what the fuck? Is this some sort of new rabies or something? _

"Bells?" I heard my dad, whose voice was also different, but still recognizable enough.

Despite my panic, I catalogued things very quickly. For instance, I knew that his voice was coming from the room adjacent to the one I was in and that he stood approximately 23 feet from my position on the bed, however his position seemed higher than his normal height. I simultaneously noted the décor in my current room was nice enough, but at the moment that was a trivial detail; my eyes were looking for the quickest way to get to my daddy. He could shoot these motherfuckers and get us the hell out of here. My options to get to dad seemed to be limited. The door behind the blonde bad ass appeared to lead to a hallway, while the door to my left appeared to be a bathroom. Too bad I couldn't just go through the wall. If Blondie wasn't so scary looking, I would just try to go through her.

"Dad?" I called. Damnit, I growled again. I was getting more scared, panicked, and angry with each passing second. This shit was so not cool.

"Alright, ya'll, calm down, you're fine. We're gonna explain a few things to you." An unfamiliar voice sounded from the next room, approximately 7 feet away from my dad. How the hell could I even know that? And how could I see so well? Things looked and sounded far too vivid.

_Smells should not have a taste! I shouldn't be able to shred bed linens with my hands like this! I just want to get to my dad and get home. _

"Bells, remember Plan 2B?" Dad asked through the wall.

Two B? Wasn't it enough that I remembered HIM?! After that kind of pain, don't people normally have to go to the nut house, or, I don't know… die?

"Dad, what are you talking about?" I cried. I felt a bit calmer for some odd reason. I had no reason to be calm, so I forced the feeling away. _Ain't nobody got time for that_.

"What the…" the unfamiliar voice sounded again. For some reason, the 'voice' sounded baffled. I wonder what Dad did in there to confuse him?

"Fire escape plan 2B, Isabella. Did you ever even pay attention to any of my contingency drills?" Dad bellowed. Suddenly, I heard glass breaking and my window shattered. Less than a second later, a familiar head of brown hair was poking into the hole where the glass used to be.

"Dad!" He suddenly leapt through the window and grabbed me into his arms and jumped back out the window. I screamed, expecting us to fall or bleed or something. We didn't. Dad was running faster than Forrest Gump, for Charlie truly ran like the wind blows. He ran incredibly fast, and the fact that he was cradling me to his chest like a baby didn't seem to hinder him in the slightest. We heard footsteps behind us, which seemed to compel Dad to go faster yet. The trees thinned and we were on a cliff overlooking a large body of saltwater. Well, Dad stood. I clung to him like a bad rash. The smell of the water was far less appealing than it was before I burned and woke up with these super spidey senses. Before I could process what he was doing, Dad's feet left the ground in a fantastic leap… a leap that landed us far out into the water with a spectacular splash. In my panic, I pulled a super dumb ass move and started to scream under the water. When I didn't feel the burn of water in my lungs, I stopped short and looked back at my dad.

Dad slowly let me go and continued to tread water below the surface; he indicated that I should do the same. When I complied, Dad tried to communicate with a complicated series of hand signals that I'd seen people use in movies. Huh. Didn't know cops did that kind of stuff in real life. Regardless, I didn't speak cop sign language. I furrowed my brows in frustration and, then, dad then rolled his eyes and made an exaggerated show of swinging his arms about and pointing to the West and down. Okay, jeez. Swim. I get it. Stay low, got it. Dad took off like a shot and I was flabbergasted to find that I was able to follow him with ease. How was I, a lifelong, card carrying, klutz supreme able to swim better than that Phelps guy? I mean, I wasn't even coming up for air and I doubted that a nuclear sub would be able to keep up with the speed dad and I were setting.

After we changed directions multiple times and swam far longer than I cared to admit (2 hours, 13 minutes and 2.76 seconds – seriously how did I even KNOW this shit?), Charlie started swimming East. I could tell that we were nearing a shoreline, but which one, I wasn't sure. Dad turned to me and motioned for me to stay low while he peeked above the water to check things out. He used hand to signal that I follow and turned quickly towards the shore. Before long we were both walking on the rocky beach.

"Bells, 'What the holy fried fuck'? Where do you come up with this shit?" Dad laughed.

"Seriously, Dad?! That's what you focused on? Not, oh, what the fuck happened to us? Who tried to munch your face off? Does Forks have a zombie problem? And, most importantly, what the fuck ARE we now? You can't tell me a human could do the shit we just did. And what…"

"Isabella Marie!" Dad bellowed. "You need to calm the fuck down. Don't lose it, sweetheart. I'm trying to think here."

The wind shifted, blowing into my face and bringing with it a mouthwatering smell. The fire that had been burning in my throat roared to life and I took off in the direction of the aroma. To my delight, running seemed as easy for me as it did for Dad. A dull thump-thump sounded in my ears as I zeroed in on the tantalizing scent. I leapt and pounced on the object of my sudden frenzy, biting down and beginning to drink. I pulled and pulled on the source of the ambrosia until it ran dry.

As I came to my senses, I looked down and realized that I held in my puny little arms the neck of a very large, very dead grizzly bear. The bear's neck was twisted at an unnatural angle and his throat was ripped out. With a start, I realized that I was covered in the bear's blood. I just drank blood. I just killed a fucking bear.

To my left, a twig snapped and I instinctively growled. I twisted my head and saw Dad, astonishment clear on his face. Realization dawned in his eyes as he watched me drop the bear as if it were a toy instead of an incredibly heavy, dead animal.

"Holy shit. That fucker. He knew." Dad could growl too, it appeared.

"Dad, what? Who knew? What did I just DO?" I looked in horror again at the bear at my feet.

"Billy knew all along. He wasn't just being a superstitious fool, that fucker knew and he didn't tell me! Fucking 'cold ones'! We're fucking cold ones!" Dad was pacing now, scaring me even more.

"What is a cold one, Dad? You don't feel cold, I don't feel cold. You're really freaking me the fuck out here," my frustration and irritation were clear in my voice.

"Bells, lay off the 'fucks' okay? Not until you can vote, remember? We just had this talk. I need to be calm and it's hard to be calm with my daughter swearing worse than a sailor. Besides, I'm pretty sure I need to eat, too. Be quiet, it's my turn to hunt; you'll scare away all the game if you keep shouting."

"Dad, seriously. I don't understand what I just did, are you saying you want to do this too? I'm scared. I'm scared and I'm pissed and I'm confused and my throat is on fire and I feel like punching a fucking tree!" I gushed, my words coming out faster as I got more upset. Deciding to give in to my urge, I turned and punched the nearest tree, shattering it at the point of contact and causing the tree to fall into the lush, dense ferns below. Wow. What kind of super powers do I have now?

"Bella, again, I need you to calm down. I'm going to figure all this out. We've got to keep a level head here, kid and I am gonna need you to do your best to not lose it on me, okay? Can you do that, Bells?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I knew that whatever science he was about to drop, it was going to blow my mind. Dad didn't mess around in a serious situation like this, so I knew that whatever he said would be the gospel truth.

"Bella, we're vampires"

**Jasper POV **

Peter and I stood at the foot of the chief's bed. He and the girl were just about to wake up and, by the sound of their heartbeats, the chief would wake up a few moments before his daughter. As soon as his last heartbeat sounded, the chief was standing crouched on his bed, sizing the two of us up. Peter and I maintained our submissive stance so as not to frighten the newbie. Chief Swan's brilliant ruby eyes were alert and calculating; his emotions the same. I expected the normal newborn chaotic cocktail of emotions, but instead, the ol' coot was surprising me. Instead of fear, anger, blood lust and confusion, he was obviously aware, calm, and somewhat wary; his face quickly displaying each emotion before he schooled his features into a calm mask.

I opened my mouth to speak when, from the other room, a growl sounded, and, then, a musical voice cried, "What the holy fried fuck just happened to me? What the hell? Did I just fucking growl?"

"It's okay, sugar. You're safe," soothed Char. I knew from experience that her posture would be the same as what Peter and I maintained; a submissive posture that generally set newbies at ease. Generally. Seemed to be working in our room; not so much in Char's. Her newbie woke up in a horn tossin' mood, rip roarin' and ready to fight. The girl's emotions were becoming more frenzied with each passing moment. I'd give Char a few moments to try to get her settled before I'd have to use my gift to calm her. We couldn't have her going ape shit. Judging by the growls she was sending Char's way, she was getting mighty close to ape shit status.

"Bells?" The chief finally spoke but didn't move - other than his eyes. Now instead of studying us, he was surveying the room. With his training as a police officer, I'm sure he was doing what I'd be doing (what I did when I awoke to this life) he was looking for an escape or a weakness. Like me, he'd be unlikely to find one.

"Dad?" She growled again. Her panic was rising, so I began to slowly send relaxation out. The chief's posture relaxed ever so slightly.

Time for me to step in, "Alright, ya'll, calm down, you're fine. We're gonna explain a few things to you."

"Bells, remember Plan 2B?" Chief Charlie asked. I didn't like where this was headed. Giving Peter a quick glance, I motioned him towards the balcony door in the room. We'd been stupid enough to put the chief in a corner bedroom, and, as a result, he had windows on two walls as well as a small seating area overlooking Jervis Inlet in the distance. Despite his minutely relaxed stance, I could still feel the chief planning something.

"Dad? What are you talking about?" The girl's confusion was painfully evident in her voice, but her emotions, even more so. I amped up the relaxation I'd started sending out - only to have it bounce right back to me. Now, not only could I not feel the girl, but I couldn't feel her father, nor could I use my gift to change either of their emotions.

Not. Fucking. Good.

Chief Swan's posture returned to the rigidity it held before, and his calculating eyes became frustrated. Were his face not such an easy read, I'd be oblivious to his feelings.

"What the…" I was at a loss for words. Never had anyone deflected my gift from themselves, let alone another being. One of the Swans was a shield, an immensely powerful shield.

"Fire escape plan 2B, Isabella. Did you ever pay attention to any of my contingency drills?" Before either Peter or I could register his actions or respond, the chief dove through the window closest to the bed, the window we didn't dare block for fear of making the newborn feel blocked in. With precision and control I'd never witnessed in a minutes old newborn, Chief Swan broke into the window in the adjoining room, grabbed his daughter and high tailed it to the trees, his daughter's frightened scream trailing behind them.

Racing through the window, Pete and I were joined by Char on the ground and we began our pursuit. Fuck, it was almost easy to forget after all those years how fast baby vamps are. Almost. We reached a cliff seconds after hearing the splash. They'd entered the water. Surely, they'd surface. They were too new to know that they couldn't drown and would have to surface in a panic to breathe.

They didn't surface.

We waited a full three minutes. They didn't surface.

At that point, they weren't going to surface.

In a panicked rage, I turned to Peter, "Where was your gift, fucker? Woulda been nice to have a heads up that we had a regular 'Fall Guy' on our hands!"

"Didn't see your gift being so helpful, Major. Where were you back there? You shoulda had them knocked smooth the fuck out." Pete was right. I hated when that shit happened.

Guess what they say about assuming is true. This time, I made an ass out of me.

"Thank you, Captain," I barked, reminding him of his place as my subordinate. This had turned into a search and rescue operation, and Peter was well aware that I took point on any and all operations. At this point, we weren't sure if the folks we were searching for were the ones that would need the rescuing.

"We'll have to split up to be most effective. First, we'll head back to the house and grab our emergency SAT phones. We can't trust regular cell phones in this terrain. We will have to hope that they get out of the water somewhere along the inlet, if they get out into Puget Sound, they could surface on any number of islands or even swim all the way to Russia for all we fucking know. I will want hourly reports via conference call, Char, I expect you to initiate and connect the conference calls. Pete…"

Char interrupted with a huff.

She fucking interrupted me.

"Oh, so since I have the tits, I get to do the fucking secretary job? Sure thing, Major. Wanna slap my ass as I pass your desk while you're at it?"

_Why do I put up with this shit? Why?_

I growled and glared at Char. "Fine. Peter, you do the secretary shit. Pretend you have tits if you have to, I don't rightly give a flying fuck. We have an objective and all I'm getting is shit. Fucking move out!"

We began our sprint back to the house to grab our SAT phones and split for our search. Before I could open my mouth to divvy up the search routes, Peter had to open his pie hole again.

"Why Major! How did you know Char loved that game? It sure is liberating to be Sweet Tits once in a while, give the ol' wifey a break… you know, spice of life and all that shit"

My growl cut his jest short. "Major, settle your ass down. I know shit's gonna work out."

"What do you know?" I demanded.

"Nothin'. Just know that it'll work out. Don't know how, don't know why. Just know."

His useful/useless gift/non-gift killed me at times. Fucker couldn't be vaguer if he were a carnival fortune teller.

Fucking great.

"Uh, I know somethin' else, Major."

More. Awesome. Let's pile this shit on. "What, Captain?"

"We need to brush up on our gangster rap, specifically some fellas called 'Geto Boys.' Don't ask why, Major. Don't have any idea, but my knower is telling me that shit will somehow come in handy"

Char giggled. Fucking giggled. "Babe, what are you going on about?"

Pete didn't answer her. Instead he began to rap under his breath, "Damn, it feels good to be a gangster…"

_What fresh hell is this? _

Since the entire situation obviously needed more fuckery, my phone just HAD to ring at that moment.

The name on the caller ID sent chills down my spine.

_Shit. Fuck. Damn. _

I braced myself. "Hello, Alice."

**ET Note(s): I referenced "Fall Guy" in the story - it's a show I loved as a kid. Lee Majors was the star... I even had a Fall Guy lunch box at one point... wiki/The_Fall_Guy**

**I'd also like to apologize for the wait between chapters. I figure that with the hectic holiday season breathing down my neck, I'll be lucky to get one update up per week. Besides, I know that my pre-reader & betas have their own lives & I don't need to bother 'em than I already do. ) **

Thanks for hanging in there... hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I am.

Also... Chapter 6 is already up at BIT - check my profile for the address...


	6. Chapter 6

_~*~I don't own these characters. I do own the crazy, whacked out mind that put them in this situation. ~*~_

_ET Note: Huge thanks to BetterInTexas for being the bestest pre-reader, like, ever; Huge thanks to my 2 bad-ass betas, Teresa Segrest & MrsAlderaan - you both rock my socks; Huge thanks to Mist... I look at that banner WAY too much. Like, WAY too much. ;) MooN - your banner is booberific. (*)(*) BBA!_

_Oh... and HUGE thanks to you if you're reading this. 'Cause what is writing without readers? _

_On with the show…_

**_See additional note at the end of this story... _**

**Chapter 6**

**Bella POV**

What? Seriously, what the fuck?

I was prepared for many answers, but that one came out of left field. Vampires? I mean, I guess it kind of made sense. Dad's eyes were a pretty freakish red color and his mustache was gone, not to mention the tons of other physical changes in him. I liked to breathe, but our super swim made it obvious that I didn't need to. I could hear sounds all around, but no heartbeats from either Dad's chest or my own. I mean, I could hear a bird taking a poop from more than one hundred feet away (102.937 feet, to be exact) for Pete's sake. My brain was going completely whack-a-doo, and, yet, I was able to calculate random things, like how far away that stinky ass bird shit was. I could smell that shit, too. Ugh. We were all freakishly strong and I _did_ just eat this bear. Or did I just drink the bear? Have I just inadvertently turned a poor bear into a fucking vampire too? How would I eat, or drink, more if everything I bite turns all vampy on me? And I really, really wanted more.

_ I need more. I need more now. Blood. I can still smell it. Vampire. Wait…it's daytime and I'm not burnt to a crisp. Granted, the clouds had kept the sun from our skin… but still…_

I was mindlessly licking my fingers while getting lost in my cavernous mind. Yeah, that'll calm a raging psyche. Lick yourself mindlessly in front of your own _Dad_.

"Ahem. Right. Look, Bells, I know you have tons of questions, and I don't have that many answers. Believe me, you'd have 'em if I did. But if you do wanna get the answers that I have, I'm gonna need to get something to eat for myself. I hear several heavy heartbeats to the northeast. You hear 'em, sweetheart?"

The beating of those hearts became the sweetest siren call. Without answering, I took off, Dad hot on my heels. I began to growl, fearing that he would take my prey. It was MINE. I saw red.

With a ferocious, and, dare I say impressive, roar I leapt into the midst of a small herd of deer. Two does fell lifelessly to the ground as my hands instantly severed their spines. Without any conscious thought, I latched on to one deer and quickly drained it before turning to the other and giving it the same fate.

With the burn in my throat much less noticeable, I turned and saw Dad calmly holding a thrashing buck. That sucker was huge! If I hadn't started to figure out that Dad was made of some fucking tough stuff, I'd have been screaming my head off. The horns? Antlers? Whatever… those pointy things atop that fucker's head kept ramming my dad in his head. He didn't flinch, but that deer sure did. The buck's horns broke as his struggle intensified. Dad gave an irritated snap and the deer went limp before he neatly latched on to the neck.

Dad was still spotless and at first that didn't bother me, until I saw the two dead deer several feet away. Here I was bloody as hell and my clothes looked like I'd jacked them from a hobo, while Dad was finally eating with manners that would make Dear Abby proud. Where was this shit at our dinner table? I'd have much preferred him to be a neat eater back then. Now, I just felt pissed off that I was so fucking dirty and bloody and he wasn't. I was even more pissed because apparently I now growled when I was pissed. I was so fucking tired of growling.

"Isabella, calm down. Go ahead and ask your questions and then I will tell you what I remember about vampires."

"Okay, I'll try to stay calm. No promises. Everything is just so different! You look young, like really young, you've got muscles, your porn 'stache is gone, and your eyes are red! I can hear everything, Dad! Everything is just so… so… arrrgh!" I was getting overwhelmed.

"Isabella Marie! Sit your ass down right now." Shit. That was the cop voice. Newly discovered vampire nature aside that fucking cop voice gave me shivers. "Ask your questions. You will feel calmer once you have some answers."

_Yeah, I guess he's at least a little right. I hate not knowing. Okay, so questions…_

"Will these animals turn into vampires since we bit them?"

"No, sweetie, they're dead. Really dead. Pretty sure we are the only vampires for miles"

_Okay. Immediate concern addressed. Right. Good. Okay. Move on. What else should I ask? I have so many questions…_

"Dad, let's start with what you know and we'll figure the rest out." Another fucking growl ripped through my chest. "Or maybe you will figure it out and tell me once I'm not so fucking pissed off."

_Or maybe I can actually think of what to ask once I stop this growling shit. _

"Bells, c'mon. Watch the 'fucks', alright? Now, let's see… start with what I know. As you know, Billy's been my best friend for, well, forever. Not every pale face got to hear these stories, but since I practically lived on the Res as a kid, well, I wasn't just any pale face. I was invited to the bonfires and allowed to stay for the real good stories after all the other pale faces headed back to Forks for the night…" Charlie paused and looked into the trees as if he saw something I didn't see. With a deep breath, he began in a reverent tone, "Taha Aki was one of the last great spirit chiefs…"

He paused, I thought, for effect.

"Wait, what did you say about my mustache?"

** Alice POV**

Oh, how heavy a burden it can be to see the future. Sure, some might think of it as an advantageous gift, and at times, that is true. However, knowing that you've found your soul mate and having the insight that your long awaited mate is going to run off into the 'wild' with his daughter (also a newborn vampire) once they awaken to their new life is a pretty much sucked.

I knew that Charlie Swan was my mate, my happily ever after. My forever. Yet, I had to watch as my best friend and former lover drove away with him. I also knew that upon awakening, my mate and his daughter, Jasper's mate, would be pulling one hell of a getaway. My first inclination was to warn Jasper. I did NOT want my newborn mate to have to acclimate to his new life alone. But, I knew that this was necessary. I also thought it would be hilarious and humbling for a couple of newborns to finally get the drop on The Major and his two stooges, too.

Though it went against all of my natural instincts to protect what was mine, I knew that letting Charlie take Bella off into the wild was a step that they both needed for their own relationship. I would have him forever, but without this time alone together to get to really know and rely upon one another, their futures would not hold nearly the same amount of joy and happiness as I saw could be possible for them. Renee had robbed Charlie and Bella of so many years together. If they were again denied time to grow their relationship, they would never get another chance like this. Once Jasper and Bella realized that they belonged together and Charlie knew that I was his, those would be the bonds that would be top priority to our beasts, our inner vampire. Allowing them this time to roam and grow their bond would enhance the happiness that we, as mates, would share in the future. I just knew that my mate, and his daughter, would be even happier for this time together, so I had to do whatever possible in my power to help him grow that parental bond, even at the cost of my own happiness.

Lately, even shopping lately had not been the escape that it normally was for me. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my retail therapy would fail me. I guess having never been separated from my mate before; I didn't really know true emotional and spiritual pain. Of course, retail therapy may have been more fun if I weren't adhering to Charlie and Bella's clothing tastes. While I would love nothing more than to dress my handsome mate in the finest clothing, I knew that he wouldn't be comfortable with it. And neither would Bella. Those two really were far more alike than they'd ever had a chance to see before, but when they returned to our family, they would be two peas in a pod. Well, one serious and one playful pea.

As I grabbed the various bags from the checkout line at Target, I realized how deep my love for my mate truly ran. Never before, despite multiple requests and protests from my family had I ever taken their own styles too much into consideration. I simply went with what I saw would look the best on them. And, to their credit, they'd lovingly gone along for my sake. But Charlie and Bella would have no such thing.

Money and possessions meant very little to either one of them, instead, they saw beyond all of those things in a way that would both change and enlighten our family. Now, that's not to say that we are a bunch of vain assholes, but over time the amount of money that we've accumulated and become accustomed to would be bound to change anyone. As each one of us had billions of dollars thanks to my ability to predict the stock market, we made Warren Buffett look like he was headed for the welfare line. Charlie and Bella would help to ground us. They would be the ties that would cement our family forever.

I noted the time as I started my yellow Porsche 911 Turbo; the rumble of the engine sending the normal tingle of pleasure down my spine. This machine always calmed me. I needed to be calm for this phone call.

I took a breath as I found the contact and pressed the send button on my cell phone.

I took a breath. The phone rang once.

"Hello Alice." I could hear the dread in his voice.

_Shit, he's going to be so mad at me._

"Hello Jasper."

"Look, Allie Gal, let me explain…"

I interrupted him. "No, Jasper. Please let me explain. I am the one who should be apologizing to you."

"Explain."

_Shit. One word responses – once sentences are gone, he's beyond pissed. Here goes nothing…_

"I knew that they were going to escape and jump into Jervis Inlet, I wanted…" I never finished – this time Jasper interrupted me, only instead of words, he used a roar. A fairly impressive roar.

I had neither the time nor the patience for his macho bullshit.

"Jasper! You know I wouldn't ever jeopardize my mate! Don't you know that this is killing me? I want him safe, with you! I want his daughter safe and in your eyesight. I want so many things that are not going to happen. But this _had_ to happen, Jazz. You are merely worried right now, Jasper. I am the one who knows that their mate is all alone in the wild. So don't you dare roar at me, mister! This will ultimately be in the best interest of my mate. So, I am sacrificing my own sanity here, asshole. Cut me some slack, huh?"

"Okay, Allie, you're right. Just help me find them, huh? We can't have these newborns out there alone," he pleaded.

"Sorry, Jasper, no can do. I've seen that this will work out. They will come back to you when the time is right."

"Allie, you've got to give me more than that. Are the three of us up here going to be on constant cleanup duty? We can't have them out slaughtering who knows how many people. I don't want them to start this life with that guilt. It's going to be hard enough."

I knew I had to give him something. Jasper was a man of action. Sitting around and waiting was not in his nature. Never had been, never would be. "I can't tell you much, Jasper. I am begging you to trust me here. They will be fine. You will not believe how incredible they are going to be! Charlie's restraint is amazing and he will make sure that Bella stays away from human blood, his control will be unlike any newborn you've ever seen!"

He began to chuckle, "No shit, Sherlock. He's smart as a whip and quicker'n a duck on a june bug. Never in my life felt that level of awareness and concentration from a newborn. He has mighty good control of his shield already, too."

It was my turn to chuckle. "Oh, Charlie is no shield. He has no gift, really; he's just ridiculously calm, cool and collected. The yin to my yang. Bella is the shield." While it was tempting to tell Jasper more about Bella, there was no need for him to pine for his mate like I was. He would be lost in her soon enough. Besides, those two would have a hell of a time learning all about each other.

Where just as Charlie would be my grounding force, my rock; Bella would be the one to finally make Jasper see his true worth, help him see what a truly beautiful being he was, inside and out.

I smiled to myself, despite the hollow pain in my chest in anticipation of seeing the changes to come. With a push of the gas pedal and a satisfying squeal of the tires, I sped towards couture shopping for someone who would truly enjoy it. Time to shop at my normal haunts. Retail therapy, here I come.

**_ET Note: YES, I know the difference between antlers & horns. I can fully explain it if you like (they really are very different), but in this story, Bella's not exactly an outdoor enthusiast. _**

**_Also, thanks for sticking with me. Life's been... busy... lately. _**

**_As always, further chapters available at www dot betterintexasfiction dot ning dot com (Up to chapter 8 over there...)_**

**_Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy New Year... or whatever you celebrate, hope it's happy. :)_**

**_Hope you enjoy it... _**


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